Locking closure



Oct. 3, 1950 Filed March 2, 1948 Fig. 5'.

Elizabeth E. Dixon INVENTOR- Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in closures forreceptacles such as garbage containers and the primary object of thepresent invention is to provide a closure embodying novel and improvedmeans for lockably retaining the closure relative to the open end of areceptacle.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a coverfor garbage receptacles and the like which are provided with a beadingat their open ends, including a pair of beading engaging members andnovel and improved means for simultaneously actuating the beadingengaging members into or out of locking engagement with the beading.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lockingclosure for garbage receptacles and the like that is extremely small andcompact in structure and which is conveniently applied to or removedfrom a receptacle in a simple manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a closure ofthe aforementioned character that is simple and practical inconstruction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive inappearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to the parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a receptacle, and showingthe present closure applied thereto in a locked position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lever supporting plate used inconjunction with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view taken substantially on the direction ofarrow numbered 3 in Figure 1, and with dotted lines showing the beadingengaging members in an unlocked position;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the presentinvention applied to a container and taken substantially on the plane ofsection line 44 of Figure 3, and;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the planeof section line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral I0 represents a cylindrical container orreceptacle of any suitable size which is formed with an upwardly turnedannular beading l2 at its upper open end I 4. Frictionally embracing theouter periphery of the container Ill at the open end thereof, in theannular flanged portion I6 of a closure plate l8 the lower face of whichfrictionally engages the upper open end of the container. Rigidlysecured by any suitable means to the lower face of the closure plate I8,is a multisided anchor plate having diametrically opposite integralextensions 22 and 24 which are transversely slit adjacent their ends 26and 28, as at 30 and 32 to facilitate the portions of the extensions 22and 24 between the slits 30 and 32, and the anchor plate I 8 to beturned inwardly toward each other to form opposed complemental,channeled guides 34 and 36.

Slidably mounted in the guides 34 a pair of beading engaging membersvent removal of the closure plate I8 from the container [0. Extendingbelow the channeled guides 34 and 36, is a pair of connecting links 48and 48 the outer ends 50 and 52 of which are connected to beadingengaging members 38 and by rivets or the like 54.

Frictionally engaging the outer face of the closure plate I8 is asupport disc or plate 56 that closes the central openings 58 which areprovided in the closure plate I8 and anchor plate 20. This support plate56 is formed with a central slot 60 that engages a pair of straps 62 theends 64 of which are angulated to fixedly engage the inner ends 66 ofthe connectin links 46 and 48 by the medium of rivets 63. Integrallyformed with the straps 62, is a hand grip or lever Ill having rounded orlooped end portions 12 and 74.

In practical use of the present closure, the longitudinal axis of thehand grip 'IIJ aligns the longitudinal axis of the beading engagingmembers 38 and 40 when the edges 42 and 44 of the beading engagingmembers are in a frictionally locked position under the beading I2.

To remove or release the beading engaging members from a lockedposition, the hand grip 10 is rotated slightly, approximately wherebythe ends 64 of the straps 62 will rotate, actuating the links 46 and 48to pull the heading engaging members simultaneously toward the center ofthe anchor plate 20. In this position, the closure l8 may beconveniently removed from the container In view of the foregoingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it isbelieved that a clear understandin of the device will be quite apparentto those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordinglydeemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

A latch mechanism for receptacle closures, said latch mechanismcomprising an elongated anchor member, pairs of guides integrally formedwith said anchor member and disposed at the ends of said anchor member,a pair of diametrically opposed radially slidable said guides, amanually rotatable hand grip carried by said anchor member and disposedbetween said locking plates, a pair of links having inner and outer endportions, pivot pins securing the inner end portions of said links tosaid hand grip, and further pivot pins securing the outer end portionsof said links to said locking members, said links being spaced beneathsaid guides, said locking plates received in hand grip including a pairof U-shaped straps, each of said straps having a web portion and innerand outer leg portions, said anchor member having a central openingreceiving the web portions of said straps, the inner leg portions ofsaid straps being spaced below the anchor member and above the links,and a loop integrally formed with the outer leg portions of said straps,the inner leg portions of said straps being secured to the inner endportions of said links by the first mentioned pivot pins.

ELIZABETH E. DIXON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 250,243 Hey Nov. 29, 1881 951,423Leighty Mar. 8, 1910 1,497,248 Searle June 10, 1924 2,299,065 ScheererOct. 13, 1942 2,325,808 Stephansko Aug. 3, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 123,986 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1928

